


A Robin by Any Other Name

by Kizmet



Series: Muddling through Grey [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), The Flash (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 00:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6681943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kizmet/pseuds/Kizmet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Robin's secret identity was discovered and one time he told.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Robin by Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> Acknowledgement: Written in response to Harprani's request: "I'd love to see how the rouges and young justice find out about Robin's secret identity."

**1\. James Jesse**

James trailed along behind his father, tugging on ropes and examining knots for the fifteenth time that night. It was the first time in his life that James didn't feel alone in his fear of heights. Between every act someone, usually several someones, checked the rigging.

Still as James climbed up to the platform on the center pole he felt his stomach clenching with dread. In his mind's eye he saw the shaky home-video that had been all over the news for the last few days replay.

"Look Timmy," the camera-man said, directing his son's attention upward as the trio in red and gold waved to the crowd and the Ringmaster went into his spiel as the net dropped. John Grayson took the bar and swung out over the void. He swung by his knees building up momentum. From the other side of the tent, Mary did the same. Then she leapt, her husband caught her arms in a secure grip but their combined weight was too much for the sabotaged ropes. The horrified screams from the crowd covered the sound of the ropes snapping, the sickening thuds of their bodies hitting the packed dirt but James' mind filled in the missing details. He could see the sounds in their son's horrified expression.

James bowed to the crowd and painted a rictus grin on his face. Tonight, even his air walks weren't enough to keep the fear of falling at bay.

Four months later the Graysons were back in the news. Their murderer had been brought to justice. Brought in by the Batman and a masked boy who wore the Flying Graysons' colors.

"Good for him," James' father said with a nod toward the boy. "You know the mingers wouldn't have done anything. Circus folk gotta take care of their own."

Six months after Tony Zucco's arrest James sat alone in a police station wondering who would take care of him now that even his own kind didn't want him.

**2\. Wally West**

While Batman and the Flash conferred Kid Flash stared around him, his jaw hanging slack, his eyes wide behind his goggles. He'd only been allowed to put the costume on a month ago and even if he had been helping his Uncle Barry longer Wally knew the Batcave would still inspire awe. Uncle Barry didn't have anything like this!

Then Wally saw the other boy; he was perched on top of the dinosaur's head, legs dangling, head canted to one side as he stared down at Wally curiously. Wally stared back with equal frankness. The boy was smaller than Wally had expected, it seemed impossible that he'd been Robin even longer than James had been Trickster.

By odd coincidence, after that night Flash and Batman seemed to have almost regular team-ups and somehow they always brought their sidekicks along. Somehow team-ups evolved into sleep-overs and texting charges so outrageous that Batman ended up offering to pay the bill. Wally's parents had threatened to take away his phone. In return Robin had made it very, very clear to his mentor that the world would end if he and Wally couldn't update each other about super-hero battles and video game high scores.

And somewhere along the way masks and costumes were set aside. Alfred didn't allow costumes in the Manor proper. Mary West thought wearing sunglasses at the dinner table was rude.

Then one day Wally was absently flipping through a magazine while waiting for his turn in the dentist chair. /Dude! Your pic's in a mag,/ he texted to Robin.

/.../

Wally blinked at Robin's lack of reaction. He read the caption under the picture.

/Dick Grayson?/

/Yes, No big/

Wally considered the implications of Robin being Dick Grayson. He stared at the man standing next to his ward in the photograph. If Dick was Robin then Batman was... Wally considered what he knew of the man who was a near constant presence in tabloids across the country... Batman was...

Then Wally sent one last message: /Call you later. My brain broke./

**3\. Artemis**

It was a brilliantly sunny autumn day at Gotham Academy. Artemis glanced across the quad and thought: 'What the hell is Robin doing at my school?' Then the boy stepped into the shadow of the building and took off his sunglasses. 'It's just that annoying Dick Grayson,' she realized.

Half-way through her next class Artemis suddenly jumped to her feet. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed.

Her classmates and teacher stared as Artemis felt her cheeks heating, she just knew she was beet red.

"Is there a problem?" the teacher asked.

"Um, I, uh, saw a spider?" Artemis excused herself weakly. But embarrassment couldn't erase her epiphany: Dick Grayson was Robin.

'That little troll!' Artemis thought as she remembered every time Robin had made her come up with excuses for being in Gotham.

**4\. Kaldur and M'Gann**

Superboy stared at the static filled TV screen and let the team's bustle from the kitchen wash over him, erasing the long lonely silence of the previous week.

Kaldur cleared his throat and stood up purposefully. Robin noticed immediately. He cocked his head to the side giving their team-leader his attention. M'Gann set aside her mixing bowl ignoring Wally's latest 'hot' comment and Artemis' retaliatory snipe.

"If I could have your attention please," Kaldur said, a small edge creeping into his voice. Wally and Artemis quieted. Superboy turned off the TV and walked over to lean on the island separating kitchen and lounge.

"Artemis has brought it to my attention that there has been a recent string of kidnappings in Gotham, the targets were all teenagers," Kaldur stated as he handed out folders. "The purpose has been ransom. All the victims have been returned unharmed thus far but the police have few leads."

"It's Gotham," Robin objected. "Batman knows about it. If he wanted our help he'd give us a mission."

"I believe presenting Batman with a plan for us to deal with the kidnappers will demonstrate that we are capable of detecting threats and acting to intervene without supervision," Kaldur replied. "If he does not wish for our help in this matter he can decline our plan."

"I think Dick Grayson will probably be the next target," Artemis piped up with a knowing smirk at Robin. "He's Bruce Wayne's adopted son and he's practically asking to get taken."

Wally looked between Artemis and Robin. "Since when do you know anything about Gotham?" he objected. "Star City is Arrow territory."

Robin jumped at the line Wally had thrown him. "I've seen you hanging around Gotham a lot. What are you hiding?"

"Oh, I don't know... Only that Green Arrow is my uncle, not my dad. Wait!" She slapped her forehead. "We told you that the day I met you. I live with my mom. In Gotham. That's such a huge secret."

"It is irrelevant to the matter at hand," Kaldur said. "I wish to offer Batman our best effort on this plan. Even if he declines it we will have shown increasing maturity and awareness."

"I think we should start by mapping Grayson's movements," Artemis chimed in with another smirk at Robin. Superboy concluded, once again, that Artemis was the most confusing person he'd ever met... not that he'd actually met many people since being rescued from his tube.

* * *

"You said yes! I can't believe you said yes!" Robin exclaimed.

"It was a solid plan," Batman replied calmly.

"Our plan was better!" Robin protested.

"They don't know Dick Grayson is Robin," Batman pointed out.

"Well they're gonna before this is over!" Robin complained.

"Think of it as a challenge," Batman instructed. "You need to learn to keep more distance between your identities."

"I'm not acting like an idiot in public," Robin stated firmly. "Besides, I think Artemis already suspects."

"She's looking for confirmation," Batman agreed.

"She's being a pain!" Robin whined. "And the plan calls for her to tail me during school hours! She's gonna make my life hell!"

"I wonder why," Batman interjected dryly. "Using your secret identity to tease your teammates is not a good way to go undiscovered."

"And Supey's following me after school. How am I supposed to get anything done being Dick 24-7?" Robin continued over Batman.

"I did let your team know that you have your own duties during the week which take precedence," Batman pointed out. "However, don't let that stop you from looking for ways to allow Robin to make appearances. Consider this as an opportunity. If you're clever you might even convince Artemis she's on the wrong track."

* * *

Robin walked into school with the feel of doom hanging over his head. Today was the day the team's plan to guard Dick Grayson went into effect.

Artemis wasted no time in proving his fears well-founded. Before he'd even made it to his locker she came up behind him and slung an arm over his shoulders with no warning. "Hi!" Artemis declared with a scarily cheerful smile. "I'm Artemis, I hear you're the guy to see about Mathathletes. You are Dick Grayson, right?" While Artemis prattled on Dick bit back the impulse to flip her over his shoulder and mentally cursed. 'She knows how someone with Robin's training would react to being grabbed from behind. The chava's trying to make me give myself away.'

When third period rolled around and his new best friend showed up in his P.E. class Robin seriously considered the merits of 'accidentally' falling off the bleachers and knocking himself unconscious.

"So, I was totally in the wrong language class, but hey, easy A. I mean my mom's practically a native French-speaker, I grew up hearing it. Only Mom noticed so no more French I. And my whole schedule got rearranged. On the plus side: Another class with you."

'Con: It's tough to precisely gauge the degree of force needed to knock someone out. I could give myself more of a concussion than I meant to.' Robin thought. 'Pro: Avoid Artemis until tomorrow, maybe even a couple of days if I bang my head hard enough.'

"Hey! Aren't you like a professional acrobat or something? Why don't you show us something?"

"I haven't kept in practice. Not since my parents..." Dick declined.

He watched the expressions flash across Artemis' face: Guilt, pity, discomfort at being reminded that she was talking to someone who'd seen his parents murdered. Robin grimaced, even among his teammates his background still set him apart once they knew. It had taken ages for Wally to go back to treating him like normal once the other boy had realized what Robin equals Dick Grayson meant. Then Artemis' expression settled on anger as it occurred to her that he'd lied. Robin had not let his parents' murder steal his love of flying from him. Robin sympathized. He didn't really like using what had happened to his parents to protect his secret identity either. Still she back off for the rest of the school day.

That night Robin grinned broadly as he ran his eyes over the selection of vehicles inhabiting Bruce Wayne's garage. There were a few perks associated with playing spoiled rich kid just asking to be abducted. This was definitely one of them. Robin had a special dispensation driver's licence, curtsy of Commissioner Gordon. Dick Grayson had two more years before he could apply for his learner's permit. And as cool as his bike was it wasn't a Lamborghini Reventon. The car was the perfect thing for Dick Grayson to sneak out of the house with. Nothing advertised 'gave security the slip' like a thirteen year old driving a high end sports car.

As the car peeled out of the driveway Dick caught a brief glimpse of Superboy as the older teen gave chase on foot. While he wasn't in Kid Flash's class, Superboy could still out run any street-legal vehicle. Kaldur had felt that their motorcycles might attract too much attention from the security at Wayne Manor. He was right, but earlier that evening Batman had said that the team was doing a decent job of staying off the official security's radar. Then he had added, "There may be hope yet of your team learning the definition of 'covert'."

"Like the Justice League ever gets anything done without explosions that can be seen for miles," Robin had defended his team and Batman hadn't disagreed.

Dick zipped along the roads and across the bridge into Gotham proper. Then he turned the car toward the clubbing district. The fake ID Dick showed at the door shouldn't have been good enough to get past the bouncer, but it was something a teenager could acquire without much knowledge of forged identification. Still, the hundred dollar bill he slipped the bouncer along with the ID got the job done. As Dick went inside he spotted Superboy standing in the line scowling and looking like a sore thumb in his jeans and S-Shield tee-shirt. 'Hope he doesn't just force his way in when he gets turned away,' Dick thought. He considered lingering near the door to see how Superboy would handle the situation but decided to keep to the pattern he'd established in the last few weeks.

Once his eyes adjusted to the strobing lights, Dick headed toward the normal spot. The crowd gathered there were somewhat older than he was but still underage. Dick had skipped a few grades so it wasn't totally implausible that he'd pick them as the 'in-crowd'.

"Hey guys!" Dick exclaimed. The older teens glanced around, recognized him and dismissed him without a word. Dick contrived to look a bit disappointed but still hopeful despite the rebuff. He continued to hang around on the edge of the group. After about ten minutes he tried again. "I brought the Lamborghini, so if anyone needs a ride home..." No one took him up on the offer. "It's a really cool ride," he added in the tone of one desperately trying not to make an unpleasant realization. Dick's third attempt for acknowledgment went better. "Mara, you're here!" he exclaimed, putting a hand on one of the girls' arms. "I heard..."

"Yeah, I got kidnapped!" the girl exclaimed loudly, jumping at the opening to tell her story one more time. "It was SOOO freaky!"

Outside Superboy spoke into his communicator. "They wouldn't let me in." His tone was hurt hidden under anger. He might as well have said "They don't want me here."

"I could force my way in but you said be discreet," he accused.

Kaldur signed. "I did not anticipate needing to follow a thirteen year old into a bar. I will send Ms. Martian to assist. Until she arrives do your best from outside the club. Check for any back doors, try to keep an eye on them as well."

"How?" Superboy snapped.

"Just... do your best," Kaldur repeated.

Superboy squinted fiercely at the building, willing X-Ray vision to kick-in. After a few minutes the line of people in front of the club began to glow with infrared signatures but the building remained stubbornly opaque to his eyes. "More defects," Superboy muttered.

Then he leapt to the build's roof and paced back and forth, keeping an eye on the front door and the alley behind the club.

/I platformed to Gotham,/ M'Gann reported, forming a mental link with Superboy. /See you soon./

Not long after M'Gann touched down in front of the club. She waved to Superboy and smiled. Then she shifted her coloring to transparency and slipped past the bouncer.

/Superboy, I'm in,/ M'Gann thought. She looked surprised as her mind brushed up against someone familiar. /Robin? What are you doing here? Batman said you were busy./

A burst of irritation answered her. /Cheat.../ Robin quickly pushed his initial reaction out of his public mind. M'Gann's impression of Robin's mind was of a grand house where she was invited into the foyer but no further. /M'Gann, you're here too? I thought the team was following Dick Grayson. How'd you end up in a bar? He's only thirteen./

/So are you, and you're here./ Superboy griped. /They just wouldn't let me in./ The last seemed more like a stray thought than something he had intended to broadcast M'Gann thought. Superboy's mind was more like a cactus than a house, she had to stretch a finger delicately past the thorns to reach him at all and then she had to be careful to only brush lightly against the surface of his mind because she was past his defenses and anything more would be an intrusion.

/Age doesn't matter. I have ninja training,/ Robin replied smugly. /Dick Grayson probably just bribed the bouncer./

/Since we're all here, why don't we work together?/ M'Gann suggested cheerfully.

/We should focus on our own missions,/ Robin disagreed, firmly showing M'Gann the door out of his mind.

On the physical plane M'Gann had been floating about the club crowd, still in invisible mode, looking for Dick Grayson. She spotted him just as Robin escorted her out of his mindscape. The distant but intense look on Dick's face matched Robin's mental presence perfectly.

M'Gann quickly dropped the mental link she'd established with her teammates before she could inadvertently revel anything. She frowned as she stared down at Dick, hurt that Robin was apparently so unwilling to reveal himself to them. Then she felt like a hypocrite. 'Hello Megan! It's not as if you've told them everything. Beside, remember what Uncle J'Onn said about respecting Batman's privacy? Robin's probably under order to keep his identity secret, even from us... I wouldn't want to get him in trouble. I guess I'll just have to keep his secret for him,' she giggled. 'I won't even tell him that I know.'

On the roof of the club Superboy scowled as he felt M'Gann cut him out of the link. Apparently no one wanted him here.

/Superboy, he's leaving,/ M'Gann projected a little over an hour later. She frowned when her mental probe found only emptiness. /Superboy? Superboy!/

M'Gann watched Dick Grayson head toward the parking garage then glanced up at the roof where Superboy was supposed to be, torn.

'Robin will be okay for a few minutes,' M'Gann reasoned. 'I have to find out what happened to Superboy.' She flew up to the roof. There was no sign of her teammate. /Superboy!/ she projected loudly as she scanned the surrounding city for his mental signature.

M'Gann pressed her fingertips to her temples, searching further and further. Finally she activated her comm. "Aqualad, I can't find Superboy! He just disappeared."

"Continue to monitor Grayson. I will contact Batman and Artemis then platform over and we will search for Superboy," Kaldur ordered.

"But-" M'Gann protested.

"You have a mission," Kaldur cut her off. "You are the only one currently on site. Stay with Grayson." With that he cut channel.

/Robin?/ M'Gann called. /I know you're baiting the kidnappers. But Superboy is missing. We should scrape the mission and go find him./

/Wha?/ Robin's mental voice came back groggy and weak.

M'Gann felt a shiver of panic.

* * *

The next night Kaldur scowled forbiddingly as he debriefed his team. "Fortunately Batman did not trust us to carry out our mission," he declared. "He had Grayson tagged with a tracer and was able to follow the signal after we lost track of the boy. He rescued Grayson and apprehended the kidnappers, while we accomplished nothing."

M'Gann and Artemis squirmed guiltily under Kaldur's disappointed gaze. Robin and Superboy were both sulking, arms crossed, scowling at anyone who looked their way. Wally fidgeted , biting his lower lip and stealing rapid-fire glances at first Robin then M'Gann.

"Superboy, Ms. Martian, you both abandoned your assigned posts," Kaldur chastised.

M'Gann looked to Robin pleadingly.

"It wasn't my assignment," Robin declared petulantly. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood."

"I didn't know what had happened to Superboy," M'Gann protested.

"No one wanted me there," Superboy complained sullenly.

"You did not have proper ID to get into the club," Kaldur snapped, frustrated with Superboy's attitude. "There was a civilian life at stake and you act like children at recess!" He frowned at M'Gann, "Running off after a crush," then at Superboy, "Storming out when things do not go as you would like."

"That's not fair!" M'Gann exclaimed.

"If Robin hadn't been.." Artemis began almost at the same moment.

"Look everything turned out okay," Wally jumped in, talking over both girls. "The kidnappers got caught, no one got hurt, lets not fight over it."

"I don't have ID period," Superboy snapped. "I'm not a real person after all." He stomped out leaving a trail of dents in the floor panels and a silent room.

After a moment Kaldur sighed. "I will talk to him. This discussion is not closed."

* * *

Kaldur stood stiffly in front of Batman. "I would respectfully request you not send us on missions where you chose to withhold critical information in the future."

"I have not," Batman replied mildly.

"Then M'Gann and Artemis are wrong? Lying?" Kaldur asked frostily.

"It is irrelevant," Batman stated. "As Batman I carry well over a hundred tool and weapons, I wear fifty pounds of body armor. While Robin and I always have our training, our abilities are reduced in our civilian identities. Further more, we cannot compromise our civilian identities and continue to operate. Dick Grayson cannot rescue himself from kidnappers, whether or not he is also Robin is irrelevant."

"I... will explain the situation to M'Gann and Artemis," Kaldur sighed. "Although I do not withdraw my request that we not be placed in such a situation again."

**5\. Hartley Rathaway**

"Dick Grayson," Piper announced smugly as he walked Robin out of the Rogue's hide-out two weeks after Conner had come to stay in Central.

Robin's jaw dropped and his breath caught. A moment later he covered his true reaction with an expression of polite confusion. "Bruce Wayne's ward, everyone in Gotham, heck, the country, knows that. What about him?"

Piper snorted. "Good try, except I was functionally deaf up until two years ago. Spoken English is practically a third language for me."

"Really?" Robin interjected, trying to change the subject. "What are your first two?"

"ALS, not that my family cared enough to learn it… and lip reading," Piper replied. "I don't focus on a person's eyes when I talk to them. Dick Grayson and Hartley Rathaway have attended more than one charity event together. You have the same mouth: chipped tooth just left of center, small scar at the corner of your mouth."

"Batman's gonna kill me," Robin groaned. "Is there anyone who doesn't know my real identity?"

"I don't think any of the older Rogues care enough to figure it out," Piper replied. "Even Evan doesn't give a damn but it annoyed me: You being all secretive and a snoop at the same time... I found one of your bugs by the way. Making them look like little bats? What the hell was Batman thinking? He might as well sign them."

"Actually that's the point," Robin remarked. "In Gotham he's like the boogeyman, if a crook finds the bug then he doesn't just know that someone's on to him, he knows Batman's on to him. Some people just give their schemes up right then, and since the idea is stop crime…"

After a moment Robin continued. "I only bugged your place because I was worried about Conner."

"You do realize that bugging people is not a normal, healthy way of expressing concern for your friends?" Piper remarked.

"It's a Bat thing," Robin admitted with a shrug.

"You're not going to hear anything incriminating anyway," Piper said. "Cold doesn't want us planning jobs in front of Conner. That way he won't feel like he has to stop us. By the time Con knows something's going down, he's occupied with babysitting Owen. It's not like you can brood about anything while the brat's demanding attention." Then he shrugged. "We're used to not being trusted. You can keep your bugs. Actually I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to Cold that I told you we knew about them. He doesn't want you knowing that we know."

"Your advantage if you can use our bugs to feed us false info," Robin agreed with Cold's reasoning. "All we really want to know is how Conner's getting along."

Piper nodded. "I won't tell Batman, or anyone, that I know who you are. I just- Well- You make such a big deal about keeping your identity secret, then you snoop. It's like you're lording it over us and I got tired of you thinking you're so great at hiding things."

**+1. Superboy**

"You're sure a heffalump snuck into the base?" Robin heard Conner ask. "The cave has really good security."

"It did sneaked in!" Owen exclaimed. "I sawed it! And we're gonna catch it!"

Robin snickered. Quietly he peered around the corner to watch the pair.

"Your turn. Check corner," Owen ordered.

Robin watched as Conner accepted the nerf-boomerang and prepared to give it a half-hearted toss.

"Not like that!" Owen declared. "Up!" He demanded and Conner lifted the little boy off the ground, settling him in the crook of his free arm. Owen climbed up to Conner's shoulders then leaned out and rearranged the older boy's hold on the boomerang. "Better," Owen stated authoritatively. "Now throw like this." The little boy demonstrated, one arm wrapped around Conner's neck while he mimed throwing with the other. "Like Papa."

Conner managed a credible imitation of technique but the throw was much too tentative. The boomerang made a few wobbly turns before losing altitude. Owen giggled then petted Conner's hair. "Little bit better," he said. "I'll show more."

"Hey Owen, does Conner even know what a heffalump looks like?" Robin asked.

Conner tensed up, he turned to face the smaller boy with a scowl. Robin winced at the purple, blood-shot bruises covering half his face, reminders of Conner's encounter with Hawkgirl's mace.

"Owen said he'd point it out," Conner said defensively. "From the name, it must be some sort of elephant, only a small one. There's no way a full sized elephant snuck into the base."

Robin couldn't help it, he laughed.

Conner glared. He turned to Owen. "Heffalumps are like the Treasury Dragon, aren't they?"

"Huh-un," Owen protested. "Papa told me 'bout the mean ol' Treasy Dragon. I saw heffalumps on the telly!"

"I could download a whole show on heffalumps and woozles in the infirmary so you could show Conner what they're like," Robin offered. To Conner he added. "It's sort of where you're supposed to be anyway."

"I'm fine," Conner insisted shortly but Owen had scrambled down and was tugging him back in the direction from which they'd come.

"It's 'pressive that you managed to sneak out in the first place. I mean the place is practically bursting at the seams with us, our mentors and the Rogues all here," Robin chatted. When Conner didn't ask about his latest linguistic venture Robin elaborated. "It's not quite im-pressive though. With the way the mentors are watching the Rogues and the Rogues are watching the mentors it's less than shocking that they'd miss something from another quarter."

Conner didn't say anything. His scowl didn't lighten at all.

It occurred to Robin that it had been awhile since he'd been able to improve Conner's moods. Robin waited until they were back in the infirmary and Owen was absorbed in the adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Then he asked, "Is something wrong? 'Cause I get the feel you're mad at me."

"You don't trust me," Conner said flatly.

"What! Where would you get that idea?" Robin demanded, startled.

"You won't tell me your name," Conner said.

"Oh come on!" Robin protested. "It's just a Bat thing."

"Everyone else knows," Conner broke in. "Or do your teachers call you Robin when you and Artemis are at school together?"

"But I didn't tell her," Robin quibbled.

Conner just gave him a hurt look. 'He's getting better at expressing emotions,' Robin thought. 'It wasn't so long ago that hurt, uncertain or uncomfortable all looked like angry on him.' Then Robin surrendered. "Sorry. I didn't mean to leave you out. Truth is I didn't ever realize that you hadn't figured it out. Everyone else pried." He added in a whine.

He offered Conner his hand. "Hi, I'm Dick Grayson, but all of my friends call me Robin."


End file.
